What Blackmon Auctions does

Blackmon Auctions is a privately held auction company founded in 1938 and headquartered in Lonoke, Arkansas, specializing in the liquidation of construction equipment, trucks, trailers, farm machinery, railroad surplus, and real estate. The company operates permanent auction yards in Lonoke, AR (425 Blackmon Road) and Godley, TX (7111 Texas 171), and conducts recurring auctions at established host locations in Morrilton, Stuttgart (Municipal Airport), and Portland, AR. Its product portfolio includes bi-monthly Texas Contractors' Auctions, quarterly Arkansas Contractors' Auctions, three signature annual farm events (Backgate Farm Equipment Auction, now in its 77th year; Portland Open, 51+ years; Morrilton Open), specialized enterprise railroad surplus auctions for Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, and NRC, and a real estate auction line operated through Thomas Blackmon Realty.

The business operates a hybrid onsite-plus-online auction format. Online bidding is delivered through Proxibid as the primary platform, with Bid Wrangler as a secondary option; both support pre-bidding, max bidding, and time-extended real-time bidding. Revenue is generated transactionally via buyer's premiums (10% on the first $3,000 of an item plus 3% on the remainder for onsite bidders, with an additional 4% premium for online bidders, yielding 14%+ effective rates) and variable seller's commissions. Blackmon sells to a mixed customer base: fragmented construction contractors, farmers, transportation carriers, oilfield contractors, and government entities (e.g., Jefferson County), alongside concentrated enterprise consignors in the Class I railroad sector. Distribution combines direct field sales for onsite auctions with self-serve online participation through Proxibid and Bid Wrangler.

In April 2026, RB Global (NYSE: RBA), the parent of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, completed its acquisition of Blackmon Auctions, integrating the company into RB Global's platform expansion strategy into Arkansas, Dallas/Fort Worth, and the railroad surplus vertical. The acquisition converts Blackmon from an independent, family-established regional operator into a wholly-owned subsidiary of a globally scaled public auctioneer, with continuity in leadership under President/Owner Thomas Blackmon Jr and VP of National Sales Billy Hartnedy.

Name

Blackmon Auctions

Legal name

Blackmon Auctions

Website

https://blackmonauctions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blackmon Auctions, founded in 1938 and based in Lonoke, Arkansas, conducts live and online auctions of construction equipment, trucks, farm machinery, railroad surplus, and real estate across Arkansas and Texas for contractors, farmers, and enterprise railroad consignors; acquired by RB Global in April 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equipment Auction Services

NAICS

Construction and Mining (except Oil Well) Machinery and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (423810), Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (4238), Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Vehicle Auctions (Physical & Online) (TLABAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC), Real Estate Auction Services (FSAEAJAL), Land & Farm/Ranch Real Estate Auctions (BPAJAEAD)

Keywords

• Equipment auction services
• Construction equipment auctions
• Farm equipment auctions
• Railroad surplus auctions
• Online live bidding

Headquarters

HQ city

Lonoke

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Premium: Blackmon Auctions charges buyer's premiums on auction transactions. Standard rates include 10% on the first $2,000-$3,000 of each item plus varying percentages on the remaining balance. Online bidding incurs additional premiums of 4%, resulting in total buyer's premiums of 14% or more on online purchases.
2. Seller's Commission: The company charges seller's commissions on items sold through their auctions. Rates vary by auction type and are mentioned as 'seller's commission charged as well' in auction terms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Blackmon Auctions conducts scheduled live and online equipment auctions for construction equipment, trucks, trailers, farm machinery, railroad surplus, and real estate. The company operates permanent auction yards in Lonoke, Arkansas and Godley, Texas, and supplements onsite bidding with online participation through the Proxibid platform. Revenue is generated through buyer's premiums and seller's commissions on each transaction.

Product overview

Blackmon Auctions is a long-established auction company (since 1938) operating a multi-format auction platform with both live onsite and online bidding capabilities. The core offering consists of equipment auctions across several specialized categories: Texas Contractors' Auction and Arkansas Contractors' Auction (permanent yard-based equipment sales), Farm Auctions (Morrilton Open, Portland Open, Backgate Farm Equipment Auction), Railroad Equipment Auctions (Norfolk Southern, Union Pacific, NRC), and Real Estate Auctions. The company was acquired by RB Global in April 2026. All auctions integrate with Proxibid for online bidding, with Bid Wrangler as an alternative platform, enabling hybrid live/online auction experiences. The company's permanent auction yards are located in Lonoke, Arkansas (425 Blackmon Road) and Godley, Texas (7111 Texas 171).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thomas Blackmon Realty: Real estate division of Blackmon Auctions, partnered with Blackmon Auctions for real estate auctions such as the SamSand LLC Real Estate Auction and Hazen Real Estate Auction.

Products and services

• Live and Online Equipment Auctions Combined onsite and virtual online auction format allowing buyers to participate in person or remotely through Proxibid and Bid Wrangler platforms, featuring live auctioneers and real-time bidding capabilities. Targeted at construction, farm, railroad, transportation, and oilfield equipment sellers and buyers.
• Arkansas Contractors' Auction Regular multi-day equipment auction held at the Lonoke, Arkansas location (425 Blackmon Road) featuring construction equipment, trucks, trailers, and support items. Targeted at construction contractors and trucking companies in Arkansas and surrounding states.
• Texas Contractors' Auction Regular multi-day equipment auction held at the Godley, Texas yard (7111 Texas 171, Godley, TX) featuring trucks, trailers, construction equipment, and support items. Held multiple times annually. Targeted at construction contractors and trucking companies in Texas and surrounding markets.
• Morrilton Open Farm Machinery Auction Annual open consignment farm machinery auction in Morrilton, Arkansas (729 AR-247), recognized as the largest farm sale in central Arkansas featuring combines, tractors, hay equipment, implements, and heavy equipment. Targeted at farmers and agricultural operations.
• World Famous Backgate Farm Equipment Auction Four-day annual farm equipment auction held at Stuttgart Municipal Airport, Arkansas, featuring tractors, combines, farm implements, heavy equipment, trucks, trailers, and miscellaneous items. 77th anniversary in 2026. Targeted at farmers from across the country.
• Portland Open Farm Machinery Auction Annual open consignment farm machinery auction in Portland, Arkansas (406 US-165), held since 1970 (51+ years) featuring over 600 lots including tractors, combines, implements, and irrigation equipment. Targeted at farmers in southeast Arkansas and surrounding regions.
• Norfolk Southern Railroad Surplus Equipment Auctions Specialized online-only auctions for Norfolk Southern Railroad surplus equipment featuring rail-related items, construction equipment, and support items distributed across the United States. Targeted at qualified railroad equipment buyers nationally.
• Union Pacific Railroad Surplus Equipment Auctions Specialized online-only auctions for Union Pacific Railroad surplus equipment featuring rail-related items, construction equipment, and support items distributed across the United States. Targeted at qualified railroad equipment buyers nationally.
• NRC Railroad Equipment Auction Annual National Railroad Construction Corporation (NRC) railroad equipment auction featuring used railroad construction and maintenance equipment including tampers, tie handlers, backhoes, excavators, and hi-rail trucks. 22nd annual event in 2026. Targeted at railroad construction contractors and equipment buyers.
• Real Estate Auctions Commercial and residential real estate auction services conducted in partnership with Thomas Blackmon Realty. Includes events such as the SamSand LLC Real Estate Auction (125 acres in Garland City, AR), Hazen Real Estate Auction (1,678 sq ft home), and Mayflower Commercial Real Estate Auction (three commercial properties along Highway 365 corridor in Mayflower, AR). Terms include 10% buyer's premium, 10% earnest money deposit, and 30-day closing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regular Texas Contractors' Auctions held quarterly at Godley, TX location
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ProxibidcoreTechnology or IntegrationProxibid is the online bidding platform used by Blackmon Auctions for all online auction participation. The platform enables pre-bidding, early bidding, max bidding, and real-time online bidding with 45-second extension clauses for last-minute bids.
• Norfolk Southern RailroadmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNorfolk Southern Railroad conducts surplus equipment auctions through Blackmon Auctions. The company has a dedicated page for Norfolk Southern Railroad auctions on its website.
• Union Pacific RailroadmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnion Pacific Railroad has conducted surplus equipment auctions through Blackmon Auctions, including online-only auctions for railroad-related items, construction equipment, and support items.
• NRC (National Railroad Construction Company)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNRC has partnered with Blackmon for annual railroad equipment auctions (18th+ annual event), with a portion of buyer's premiums donated to NRC's safety training programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers: Ritchie Bros. is the global leader in heavy equipment and industrial auctions, operating live and online auctions across construction, transportation, and agricultural categories. Blackmon is now part of RB Global, which owns Ritchie Bros., making it the closest direct peer and the platform acquirer of Blackmon.
• Alex Lyon & Son Auctioneers: Alex Lyon & Son is a multi-generational family-run auction company running live and online equipment auctions focused on construction, agricultural, and transportation equipment across the U.S. Closely comparable in business model, target segments, and event-driven format to Blackmon.
• Purple Wave Auction: Purple Wave is an online-only auction platform specializing in used agricultural, construction, and fleet equipment. Comparable to Blackmon in equipment categories served and Proxibid-style online bidding, but operates primarily online without permanent yard infrastructure.
• J.J. Kane Auctioneers: J.J. Kane conducts live and online auctions of construction equipment, trucks, and heavy machinery across regional U.S. markets. Mirrors Blackmon's hybrid live/online format and equipment categories, with comparable contractor and municipal customer segments.
• IronPlanet: IronPlanet is an online marketplace for used heavy equipment and trucks, also acquired by RB Global. Competes head-to-head with Blackmon's Proxibid-enabled online equipment auctions and shares the same parent platform post-acquisition.
• Tractor House: Tractor House is an online listing marketplace for farm and construction equipment, owned by Sandhills Global. Overlaps with Blackmon's farm and contractor equipment auction categories and represents a digital marketplace alternative for the same buyers and sellers.
• Hessney Auctioneers: Hessney Auctioneers is a regional auctioneer in upstate New York conducting live and online auctions of construction, transportation, and agricultural equipment. Closely comparable to Blackmon in regional auction model, equipment categories, and recurring scheduled events.

Broad incumbents

• Copart: Copart is a large publicly traded online vehicle auction company. While primarily focused on salvage and used vehicles, it shares the online auction format and bidder pool with Blackmon's transportation/truck auctions and represents a broader incumbent in adjacent auction categories.
• IAA (Insurance Auto Auctions): IAA is a major salvage and total-loss vehicle auction company, now part of RB Global following the 2023 acquisition. Sits inside Blackmon's parent group and overlaps in online vehicle/equipment auction infrastructure and bidder networks.
• AuctionTime / Sandhills Global: AuctionTime (owned by Sandhills Global) is a large online-only equipment auction platform covering farm, construction, and transportation categories. Competes with Blackmon for online bidders and consignors and operates at significantly broader scale, but does not run onsite yard auctions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackmonAuctions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackmon-auctions-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blackmon Auctions